The Buffalo Sabres and Bell today announced that Sabres games will now be carried on Bell TV in Southern Ontario, Canada. Sabres games, which were previously available on NHL Center Ice, will now be included as part of Bell TV regular programming – at no extra cost— starting with the Oct. 10 matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“This is a momentous day for our organization and, more importantly, the thousands of Sabres fans in Southern Ontario,” said Sabres president Ted Black. “We have been aware of the very large number of Sabres fans in Southern Ontario for quite some time and, until now, they have been able to see only a very small percentage of Sabres television broadcasts despite being geographically closer to us than Rochester. We are very proud of getting this done for our fans and
we’re thankful to Bell TV and MSG for all the hard work that went into the negotiations.”
A total of 50 Sabres game telecasts from the 2013-14 season will be carried only on Bell Fibe and Satellite TV services on channel 442 (standard definition) and channel 1442 (high definition) in homes from Fort Erie/Niagara Falls to Stoney Creek in Southern Ontario. While Sabres games will now be available to all Bell Fibe and Satellite TV customers in the Southern Ontario region at no extra charge through the regular Bell TV package, games will not be available in the region on NHL Centre Ice or the NHL GameCenter online application.
“Many people don’t think of the Southern Ontario region as being ‘Sabres Territory’ because it’s in a different country,” Black said. “But, in reality, some of our most passionate fans come from right over the Peace Bridge. They’ve been crossing the border to come to games at the arena for years and now they’ll be able to watch a majority of Sabres games from the comfort of their homes.”
The bad news is Buffalo hasn't won in its first four games of the season.
The bad news is that power forward Marcus Foligno is back and rockin’!
Foligno made his 2013-14 season debut on home ice against the Tampa Lightning on Tuesday night. Foligno wasted no time establishing himself as Buffalo’s best skater in the game.
At the 3:22 mark of his first period of the season, Foligno perfectly read and reacted to a Bolt D Radko Gudas threw a suicide pass to center Val Filppula in the Tampa zone. Foligno did what his instincts required him to do, which is, to increase velocity, zero in on target, detonate the puck carrier and then fight Gudas. What kind of door knob throws an the ill-timed suicide pass to his unsuspecting winger with Marcus Foligno patrolling the area like a hungry pit bull?
Large. In-charge. That’s what you get every shift from Marcus Foligno. The Sabres missed their top line power forward for the final two games of the exhibition season and the first three games of the regular season. He injured his shoulder in the September 22 fight-filled game in Toronto. Foligno was already injured before the Tropp Devane, and Kessel-Scott incidents occurred. He needed a couple of weeks of rest and recovery time to mend his dinged wing.
Tuesday night in Buffalo was a graphic reminder that the Sabres don’t currently have another player of Foligno’s ilk on their current roster. By that, I mean a guy capable of playing heavy hockey, tossing the mitts to get his team fired up and of scoring 20 goals, Drew Stafford has the height and goal scoring capabilities, however, he lacks the physicality and commitment to playing like a human bulldozer like Foligno has become famous for. In 20:21 (22 shifts) of ice time, Marcus delivered 7 of Buffalo’s 27 hits. He created one turnover. He took one shot on Bishop. He played 1:49 on the PP, and the other 18:32 on the PP. He was 3-1 (75%) on draws. I loved Foligno’s game. What’s not to like? The guy was a dominant power forward. He added a dimension to the Buffalo lineup that they had been missing in the games against Detroit, Ottawa and Pittsburgh. Disappointingly, Foligno’s example wasn’t followed by his linemates Tyler Ennis and Drew Staffiord. Foligno did the spade work on the wall and in front of the net. Ennis and Stafford couldn’t score on their chances. Stafford took only 3 shots and Ennis 2. That’s not good enough production from a second line in the NHL. The 82-63-21 trio worked well together in March of 2011 when it erupted for a gold mine of offense in the final month of the regular season. Since that time, I feel like Foligno has committed to becoming a better, more complete player, while Stafford and Ennis have stayed in the same place, if not regressed in their development. At first bluch, I liked the idea of the 82-63-21 reunion when Ron Rolston first introduced the idea at the Tuesday morning skate. After watching the Sabres-v-Bolts game, I’m feeling like Foligno belongs on right wing next to Hodgson and Vanek on the first line. Foligno has earned the right to play with the top offensive players on the team. His improved leg drive has inmproved his skating. He’s fresher inside shifts and at the ends of periods than he was early in his young career. Plus, he has the size and skill to be a top power forward. If I’m Rolston, I play 26-19-82 for 23-25 minutes per game, beginning Thursday night vs. Columbus.
Against the Lightining, Sabres fans finally got to see for themselves the new and improved Foligno who invested heavily in his off season strength and conditioning program. Through core training, Foligno converted body mass to ten pounds of new muscle. He’s playing at 227 lbs. this season. Last season, he played in the 218-219 lb. height range.
Marcus Foligno made a huge difference in his season debut on Tuesday night. He added immediate value to his young team. Ron Rolston is looking for his team's identity. He should look no further than 22 year old Marcus Foligno for teh template for future success. Marcus doesn't take shrt cuts. He doesn't bitch and complain. He's not a negative guy in the room or on the bench. He's always working on his game. He doesn't have a sense of entitlement. Marcus, like his brother Nick, fights and works hard for everything he gets in his hockey life. Nothing is given. Its earned.
His old man wouldn't have it any other way.
How many of his fellow forward teammates besides Vanek, Hodgson, Ott, and Girgensons can say the same thing?
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The Buffalo Sabres played two teams on Tuesday night. They lost to both.
The Sabres entered the game win less in their first three games. They had scored two goals in their first nine periods of regulation hockey. Enter the Tampa Lightning. The Sabres started slowly vs. the Bolts, however scored 2 PPGs in their first 3 PP attempts. Leading 2-1 early in the third period, ot appeared as though Buffalo had taken a 3-1 lead over Ben Bishop and the Bolts.
For a fleeting moment, the Sabres scored their third goal of the night on a delayed penalty.
Puck went in the net. Whistle blew.
Not so fast Sabres fan. No Goal II is now trending in Buffalo.
